Chapter 56: The Divine Sage in His Fury Slays the Grass Bandits; The Way Obscured, the Mind-Ape Is Cast Away

A poem says:

Tang Sanzang, gritting his teeth, had managed to preserve his purity; thanks to Wukong and the others killing the Scorpion Spirit , he had been rescued from the Pipa Cave . The journey was uneventful, and soon they arrived in early summer. The scenery before them was thus:

The master and his disciples admired the scenery of the Dragon Boat Festival . Before they knew it, the festival had passed, when suddenly a high mountain blocked their path. The elder reined in his horse and called back, "Wukong, there's a mountain ahead. There might be demons! We must be careful!"

Wukong and the others said, "Master, rest assured. Our hearts are truly set on the Buddha. Why should we fear any demons?"

The elder was pleased to hear this. He raised his whip and urged the horse forward, letting the reins go slack so the horse could run. In no time, they ascended the mountain ridge. Looking up, he saw how truly perilous this mountain was: the pines and cypresses at the peak pierced the clouds; the stone cliffs were covered with brambles and wild vines. The ten-thousand-foot peak was lofty and perilous; the thousand-layer precipice was bottomless. Green moss covered the shaded rocks; ancient junipers and tall locust trees formed vast forests. Deep in the woods, the clear calls of birds were truly a delight to chant about. The stream waters cascaded like white jade; fallen flowers by the path lay piled like gold. The mountain was treacherous, the path barely passable; for every ten steps, there was not even half a step of flat ground. Foxes and deer appeared in pairs; white deer and black apes walked together. Suddenly, the roar of a tiger came, chilling the heart and soul; the cry of a crane echoed through the clouds. Yellow plums and red apricots could serve as food; the wild grasses and idle flowers by the roadside were too many to name.

The four pilgrims entered the mountain, traveling slowly for a long time. They crossed the peak and descended the western slope, where a stretch of flat land lay before them. Zhu Bajie perked up. He told Sha Monk to carry the load, then raised his rake with both hands and went ahead to urge the horse on. But the horse was not afraid of him at all; no matter how the fool clicked his tongue and shouted, the horse still walked at a leisurely pace.

Wukong said, "Brother, why are you driving it? Let it walk slowly."

Bajie said, "It's getting dark. We've been walking all day since we entered the mountain, and I'm hungry. Let's hurry up and find a house to beg for some food."

Hearing this, Wukong said, "In that case, I'll make it go faster." He shook his golden-banded staff and gave a loud shout. The horse broke its reins and shot forward along the flat road like an arrow. Why was the horse not afraid of Bajie but only of Wukong? It was because five hundred years ago, Wukong had been appointed by the Jade Emperor to be the Protector of the Horses in the Imperial Stables of the Great Heaven , with the official title "Bi Ma Wen." This reputation had spread, and all horses were afraid of monkeys.

The elder could not hold the reins and could only cling tightly to the saddle, letting the horse run. After about twenty miles of flat ground, the horse finally slowed down.

As they were walking, they suddenly heard the clang of a gong. Thirty or more men jumped out from both sides of the road, all carrying swords, spears, and clubs, blocking the path and shouting, "Monk! Where do you think you're going!"

Tang Sanzang trembled all over with fear. He lost his seat on the horse and fell into the grass by the roadside, crying out, "Spare my life, Great King! Spare my life, Great King!"

The two leaders among them said, "We won't hit you. Just leave your valuables behind."

Only then did the elder realize they had run into bandits. He straightened up and raised his head to look.

He saw the two bandits: one had a green face and fangs, more ferocious than an evil spirit; the other had round, bulging eyes, like a god of death descending to the mortal world. Their red sideburns fluttered like flames; their yellow beards on their chins stuck out like steel needles. They wore tiger-skin caps and belts of marten fur around their waists. One carried a wolf-tooth club; the other shouldered a thick rattan staff. Truly, they were like tigers from the mountains, fiercer than dragons emerging from the water.

Seeing how fierce they were, Sanzang had no choice but to stand up, put his palms together, and say, "Great King, this humble monk is sent by the Tang Emperor in the East to fetch scriptures from the West. Since leaving Chang'an, many years have passed. Even if I had any valuables, they would have been spent long ago. We monks rely on begging for our food. Where would we get any money? I beg the Great King to show mercy and let this humble monk pass!"

The two bandits, along with their men, stepped forward and said, "We have set up this hard-hearted blockade just to rob people of their money. What mercy! If you truly have no money, then quickly take off your clothes and leave us your white horse, and we will let you go!"

Sanzang said, " Amitabha ! This robe of mine was made by begging cloth from one family and a needle from another, pieced together bit by bit. If you strip it off me, it would be the death of me! Besides, in this life, you act as such wicked heroes, but in the next life, you will be reborn as beasts!"

The bandits were enraged. They raised their clubs to strike. The elder said nothing, but thought to himself, "Poor fools, you don't know that your clubs are nothing compared to my disciple's staff!"

The bandits did not give him a moment to think. They raised their clubs and struck at him wildly. The elder, who had never lied in his life, was left with no choice but to make up a story: "Great Kings, don't strike! I have a young disciple who will be here soon. He has a few taels of silver on him, and I will give it all to you!"

The bandits said, "This monk can't take a beating. Tie him up!"

The underlings rushed forward, bound Sanzang with rope, and hung him high from a tree.

Meanwhile, the three "troublemakers" were following behind. Bajie laughed heartily and said, "The master ran so fast! I wonder where he's waiting for us."

Suddenly, they saw the elder hanging from a tree. Bajie said, "Look at the master! He's waiting for us, and he's got the leisure to climb a tree and swing on a vine!"

Wukong saw this and said, "Fool, stop your nonsense! The master is clearly hung up there! You two go slowly. I'll go see."

Truly the Great Sage, he quickly climbed the high slope to look carefully. Recognizing them as a band of robbers, he was secretly delighted: "Lucky! Lucky! Business has come to my door!" He transformed himself, becoming a clean, neat little monk, wearing a black cotton robe, looking about sixteen years old, with a blue cloth bundle on his back. He hurried over and called out, "Master, what is this? Who are these villains?"

Sanzang said, "Disciple, hurry up and save me! What are you asking for?"

Wukong said, "What are they doing?"

Sanzang said, "This band of highwaymen stopped me and demanded valuables. I had nothing on me, so they hung me here, waiting for you to think of something. If it comes to it, we'll just give them this horse."

Wukong laughed and said, "Master, you are truly useless. There are many monks in the world, but few as timid as you. Tang Taizong sent you to the West to see the Buddha; who told you to give away this dragon horse?"

Sanzang said, "Disciple, they hung me up and beat me. What could I do?"

Wukong said, "What did you tell them?"

Sanzang said, "They beat me so urgently, I had no choice. I gave you away."

Wukong said, "Master, you are truly muddled! Why did you give me away?"

Sanzang said, "I said you had valuables on you. It was just a lie to get them to stop beating me."

Wukong said, "Good! Good! Good! Thanks for the compliment. That's the way to talk. If you could give me away seventy or eighty times a month, Old Monkey's 'business' would be even better!"

The bandits saw Wukong talking with his master and surrounded them, shouting, "Little monk, your master says you have valuables on you. Hand them over quickly, and we'll spare your lives! If you say a single 'no,' we'll kill you all!"

Wukong put down his bundle and said, "Gentlemen, don't shout. I do have valuables, all in this bundle. It's not much, just about twenty ingots of gold, twenty or thirty ingots of silver, and some loose silver that hasn't been counted. If you want it, take the whole bundle. Just don't hit my master. An old saying goes, 'Virtue is the root, wealth is but a branch.' As for wealth, we monks have our ways of begging for it. If we meet a kind soul who supports monks, they give us money and clothes. What need do we have for much? Just release my master, and I'll give you all of this."

The bandits were delighted and said, "This old monk is stingy, but this little monk is generous." They shouted, "Let the old monk down."

After being rescued, the elder jumped on his horse, paid no attention to Wukong, raised his whip, and galloped back the way they had come.

Wukong quickly shouted, "Wrong way!" He picked up his bundle and was about to chase after him.

The bandits blocked him and said, "Where do you think you're going? Leave the valuables, or we'll fight!"

Wukong laughed and said, "Let's be clear. We need to split the spoils three ways."

The bandit leader said, "This little monk is clever! He wants to hide some private money from his master. Fine, let's see it. If there's a lot, we'll give you a share, and you can buy some fruit on the sly."

Wukong said, "Brother, that's not what I meant. I don't have any valuables. What I meant was, the two of you have robbed others of their gold and silver. You should give me a share."

The bandits were furious and cursed, "This monk doesn't know when he's beaten! You won't give us money, and now you're asking for ours! Don't move! Take this!"

One bandit raised his thick rattan staff and struck Wukong's bald head seven or eight times. Wukong felt nothing and smiled, saying, "Brother, if you hit like that, even if you keep it up until next spring, it will only feel like a tickle."

The bandits were shocked: "This monk's head is really hard!"

Wukong laughed and said, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Thank you for the compliment. It's only average hardness."

The bandits would not let him speak. Two or three of them struck at him wildly. Wukong said, "Gentlemen, don't be angry. I'll bring it out."

Truly the Great Sage, he took a tiny embroidery needle from his ear and said, "Gentlemen, we monks truly have no valuables. I'll give you this needle as a gift."

The bandits said, "What bad luck! We let the rich old monk go, and we've caught a poor bald donkey! Are you a tailor? What would we do with a needle?"

Seeing they did not want it, Wukong shook the needle in his hand, and it became a staff as thick as a bowl. The bandits were afraid: "This little monk is small, but he knows magic!"

Wukong stuck the staff in the ground and said, "Gentlemen, if you can lift it, I'll give it to you."

Two bandits stepped forward to grab it, but it was like a dragonfly trying to shake a stone pillar; they could not move it even a fraction. This staff was the As-You-Will Gold-Banded Cudgel, weighing thirteen thousand five hundred pounds. How could that band of robbers know that?

The Great Sage stepped forward, gently picked up the staff, and assumed a "python turning and stepping" posture, pointing the staff at the bandits and saying, "You really have bad luck, running into Old Monkey!"

The bandits were not yet willing to give up. They struck him another fifty or sixty times. Wukong laughed and said, "Your hands must be tired from all that hitting. Let Old Monkey hit you once. Don't take it personally."

He then spread out his staff, shook it, and it became as thick as a well curb and seventy or eighty feet long. With a single *crack*, he struck one bandit to the ground, his face in the dirt, and he never made a sound again.

The other bandit began to curse: "This bald donkey is too rude! You haven't given us any valuables, and you've killed one of my brothers!"

Wukong laughed and said, "Don't rush! Don't rush! I'll hit you one by one and finish you all off!" With another *crack*, he struck the second bandit dead as well.

The remaining underlings were terrified. They dropped their swords, spears, and clubs and fled in all directions.

Meanwhile, Tang Sanzheng was riding his horse, running wildly to the east. Bajie and Sha Monk blocked his path and said, "Master, where are you going? That's the wrong way!"

The elder reined in his horse and said, "Disciples, quickly go and tell your senior brother to show mercy and not kill those bandits."

Bajie said, "Master, wait here. I'll go tell him."

The fool ran all the way to the scene and shouted, "Brother, the master says don't kill anyone!"

Wukong said, "Brother, when did I kill anyone?"

Bajie said, "Where are the bandits?"

Wukong said, "The others have all run away. Only the two leaders are here sleeping."

Bajie laughed and said, "You two are really unlucky. Even if you were up all night, you shouldn't be sleeping here!" He walked over to look at the bandits and said, "They look like my kind, sleeping with their mouths open and drooling."

Wukong said, "Old Monkey hit them with his staff, and 'bean curd' came out."

Bajie said, "Do people have bean curd in their heads?"

Wukong said, "It's their brains that came out!"

Hearing that someone had been killed, Bajie hurried back to Tang Sanzang and said, "It's all over! It's all over!"

Sanzang said, "Well done! Well done! Which way did they run?"

Bajie said, "Their legs are all straightened out. Where could they run?"

Sanzang said, "What do you mean, 'all over'?"

Bajie said, "They're dead. Isn't that 'all over'?"

Sanzang asked, "How badly are they hurt?"

Bajie said, "There are two big holes in their heads."

Sanzang said, "Quickly open the bundle and take out some coins. Go buy two plasters to put on them."

Bajie laughed and said, "Master, you don't understand! Plasters are for the sores of the living, not for the holes in the dead!"

Sanzang said, "Are they truly dead?" He was suddenly furious. He muttered incessantly, cursing Wukong as "long-tailed macaque" and "short-tailed monkey." Then he turned his horse around and, together with Sha Monk and Bajie, went to the bodies. They saw two bloody corpses lying at the foot of the slope.

The elder could not bear to look. He told Bajie, "Quickly use your rake to dig a pit and bury them. I will recite the 'Sutra for the Dead' for them."

Bajie said, "Master, you've got the wrong person! It was Pilgrim who killed them. He should be the one to bury them. Why are you giving me this hard labor?"

Wukong, already angry from being cursed by his master, scolded Bajie: "You lazy pig! Go bury them quickly! If you delay, I'll give you a taste of my staff!"

The fool was terrified. He dug a pit three feet deep under the slope, but the ground was all rock, and his rake got stuck. He threw down his rake and used his snout to root around. When he found soft earth, one root with his snout dug two and a half feet, and two roots dug five feet deep. He buried the two corpses and piled up a grave mound.

Sanzang said, "Wukong, bring out incense and candles. I want to pray and recite the sutra."

Wukong pouted and said, "How clueless can you be? In this half-mountain, there are no villages or shops ahead or behind. Where am I supposed to find incense and candles? Even if I had money, there's no place to buy them."

Sanzang said hatefully, "Never mind that! I'll use some dirt as incense and offer my prayers."

This was truly: Sanzang dismounted to mourn at the wild grave; the holy monk offered his good thoughts to the solitary souls. He prayed: "I beseech you, good heroes, listen to my explanation: I am a monk from the Tang Dynasty in the East, sent by Emperor Taizong to seek the true scriptures in the West. Just now, I arrived here and met you all. I do not know which prefecture, which province, or which county you are from, that you have formed this gang in these mountains. I spoke kindly and begged sincerely, but you would not listen and instead grew angry. Then you met my disciple Wukong, and he killed you with one blow of his staff. Thinking that your bodies were exposed, I helped to dig the earth and bury you. I break a green bamboo branch to use as a candle; though it has no light, it represents my intention. I use a stone as an offering; though it has no taste, it is my sincerity. When you go before King Yama to lodge your complaint, you must be clear: the one who killed you is surnamed Sun, and I am surnamed Chen. We are different people. The grievance has its head, and the debt has its master. Do not, by any means, accuse this scripture-seeking monk."

Bajie laughed and said, "The master certainly knows how to pass the buck! When he hit them, it had nothing to do with us either."

Sanzang then took another pinch of dirt and prayed: "Good heroes, if you want to file a complaint, only accuse Pilgrim. It has nothing to do with Bajie or Sha Monk either."

The Great Sage could not help but laugh when he heard this. He said, "Master, you are truly without any sense of loyalty! I have suffered so much hardship to help you fetch the scriptures, and now that I've killed two petty thieves, you tell them to sue Old Monkey! Even though I was the one who struck the blow, it was for your sake! If you weren't going to the West to fetch the scriptures, I wouldn't have become your disciple, and I wouldn't have come here, and I wouldn't have killed anyone! Let me also say a couple of words to them!"

He clenched his iron staff and struck the grave mound three times, saying, "You plague-stricken bandits, listen! You hit me seven or eight times first, and then another seven or eight times. It didn't hurt or tickle me, but it made me angry. In a moment of carelessness, I killed you. Go ahead and file your complaint anywhere you like. Old Monkey is not afraid of anything: The Jade Emperor knows me; the Heavenly Kings follow me; the Twenty-Eight Mansions fear me; the Nine Luminaries dread me; the City Gods of the prefectures and counties kneel before me; the Great Emperor of Mount Tai fears me; the Ten Kings of the Underworld have been my servants; the Five Spirits of the Roads have been my younger brothers. Whether it's the Three Realms and Five Bureaus or the officials of the Ten Directions, they all have a deep friendship with me and know my face well. Go ahead and file your complaint anywhere!"

When Sanzang heard him speak such wild words, he became afraid again and said, "Disciple, I was praying so that you would cultivate a compassionate heart and become a good man. How can you take it so seriously?"

Pilgrim said, "Master, this is no joke. Let's quickly find a place to stay."

The elder had no choice but to swallow his anger and mount his horse.

Sun the Great Sage now harbored resentment towards his master, and Bajie and Sha Monk were also somewhat jealous. The master and disciples maintained a surface harmony, but each harbored his own thoughts. They followed the main road westward when suddenly they saw a farmstead to the north of the road.

Sanzang pointed with his horsewhip and said, "Let's go there to ask for lodging."

Bajie said, "Perfect!" So they dismounted by the farmhouse. Looking at the place, it was quite pleasant:

The elder stepped forward. Suddenly, an old man came out of the farmhouse gate. He went up to greet him. The old man asked, "Monk, where have you come from?"

Sanzang said, "This humble monk is from the Great Tang in the East, sent to the West to fetch the scriptures. I was just passing by, and since it is getting dark, I would like to ask for lodging for the night at your home."

The old man laughed and said, "From your place to mine, the journey is long. How did you cross the mountains and rivers and come here all alone?"

Sanzang said, "This humble monk has three disciples who came with me."

The old man asked, "Where are your disciples?"

Sanzang pointed and said, "They are standing by the main road."

The old man looked up and saw how ugly they were. He quickly turned around and went back into the house. Sanzang grabbed him and said, "Old benefactor, I beg you to show mercy and let us stay for the night!"

The old man was so frightened he could not speak. He shook his head and waved his hands, saying, "No, no, you don't look like men! They are, they are, they are a few demons!"

Sanzang smiled and said, "Benefactor, don't be afraid. My disciples just look like this. They are not demons."

The old man said, "Heavens! One looks like a Yaksha, one looks like a Horse-Face, and one looks like the Thunder God!"

Pilgrim heard this and shouted, "The Thunder God is my grandson, the Yaksha is my great-grandson, and the Horse-Face is my great-great-grandson!"

When the old man heard this, his soul flew away, his face changed color, and he only wanted to hide in the house. Sanzang supported him and walked together into the thatched hall, smiling and saying, "Old benefactor, don't be afraid of them. They are just rough and don't know how to speak properly."

As he was comforting him, an old woman came out from the back, carrying a child of five or six years old. She asked, "Old man, why are you so scared?"

The old man quickly said, "Wife, hurry up and make some tea."

The old woman truly put down the child, went into the house, and brought out two cups of tea. After drinking the tea, Sanzang went over and bowed to the old woman, saying, "This humble monk is from the Great Tang in the East, sent to the West to fetch the scriptures. I have just arrived here and would like to ask for lodging for the night. Because my three disciples are ugly, they have frightened the old benefactor."

The old woman said, "If you are this scared just by seeing an ugly face, what would you do if you saw a tiger or a wolf?"

The old man said, "Wife, it's not just that they are ugly, but their words are terrifying! I said they looked like a Yaksha, a Horse-Face, and the Thunder God, and he actually said the Thunder God is his grandson, the Yaksha is his great-grandson, and the Horse-Face is his great-great-grandson! How could I not be scared when I heard that?"

Tang Sanzang said, "No, no. The one who looks like the Thunder God is my eldest disciple, Sun Wukong; the one who looks like the Horse-Face is my second disciple, Zhu Wuneng; and the one who looks like the Yaksha is my third disciple, Sha Wujing. Although they are ugly, they are all believers in the Buddha. They have reformed their evil ways and are not demonic monsters. Please don't be afraid!"

When the old couple heard that they had taken refuge in the Buddha, they calmed down a little and were not so frightened. They said, "Please invite them in! Please invite them in!"

The elder went out and called the three disciples in, then instructed them, "The old man here was very afraid of you just now. Now that you are going in to meet him, don't be rude. Be dignified."

Bajie said, "I am handsome and speak gently. I am not as rough as my senior brother."

Pilgrim laughed and said, "Even if you have a long snout, big ears, and an ugly face, you still count as a man."

Sha Monk said, "Stop arguing. This is no place for a war of words. Hurry up and go in!"

So they moved their luggage and horse into the thatched hall, bowed together, and sat down. The old woman was kind-hearted. She picked up the child, went into the kitchen, prepared a vegetarian meal, and the master and disciples ate. As it grew dark, lamps were lit, and they all chatted in the thatched hall.

The elder asked, "Benefactor, what is your honorable surname?"

The old man said, "My surname is Yang."

The elder asked his age, and the old man said, "Seventy-four."

He then asked, "How many sons do you have?"

The old man said, "Only one. The child my wife was holding just now is my little grandson."

The elder said, "Please ask your son to come out and meet us."

The old man sighed and said, "That boy does not deserve such good fortune. My fate is bitter. I raised such a good-for-nothing, and he is not at home now."

Sanzang asked, "What business does he do outside?"

The old man nodded and sighed, saying, "Pitiful, pitiful! If he would do an honest business, I would burn incense to the heavens! That boy is full of wicked ideas. He does not attend to proper work. He specializes in highway robbery, murder, and arson! The friends he keeps are all a pack of scoundrels! He went out five days ago and hasn't come back yet."

When Sanzang heard this, he dared not say a word. He thought to himself, "Perhaps the one Wukong killed is his son..." The elder felt uneasy. He straightened up and said, "Well done! Well done! With such good parents, how could they have such a wicked son!"

Pilgrim stepped forward and said, "Old sir, a son like this, who is unfilial and does all kinds of evil, only brings trouble to his parents. What good is there in keeping him! Let me find him for you and kill him!"

The old man said, "I would like to get rid of him, but I have no other descendants. Even if he is useless, he can at least close my eyes when I die."

Sha Monk and Bajie laughed and said, "Senior Brother, don't meddle in other people's business. We are not government officials. What does it have to do with us if his son is no good? Let's just ask the benefactor to give us some straw, find a place to make our beds, and sleep. Tomorrow we have to be on our way."

The old man got up and told Sha Monk to go to the back garden and fetch two bundles of straw. He let them rest in the thatched shed in the garden. Pilgrim led the horse, Bajie carried the luggage, and they went with the elder to rest in the thatched shed. We will leave them there for now.

Now, among that band of robbers, there was indeed Old Yang's son. That morning, after Pilgrim had killed the two leaders in front of the mountain, the others had fled in all directions. Around the fourth watch of the night, they had gathered together again and came to knock on the old man's door.

When the old man heard the knocking, he put on his clothes and said, "Wife, that boy is back."

The old woman said, "Since he's back, open the door and let him in."

As soon as the old man opened the door, the bandits shouted, "We're hungry! We're hungry!"

Old Yang's son quickly went into the house and called for his wife to wash the rice and cook. But there was no firewood in the kitchen, so he went to the back garden to get some. In the kitchen, he asked his wife, "Where did that white horse in the back garden come from?"

His wife said, "It belongs to some monks from the East who are going to fetch the scriptures. They came to ask for lodging last night. Father and Mother fed them dinner and let them sleep in the thatched shed."

When the boy heard this, he went out to the thatched hall, clapped his hands, and laughed, saying, "Brothers, lucky! Lucky! Our enemy is in my house!"

The bandits asked, "Which enemy?"

The boy said, "It's the monk who killed our leaders! He came to my house to ask for lodging. He's sleeping in the thatched shed right now!"

The bandits said, "Excellent! Excellent! Let's catch these bald donkeys and chop them into mincemeat! First, we can take their luggage and the white horse; second, we can avenge our leaders!"

The boy said, "Don't rush. You sharpen your knives first. Let me get the rice cooked. When everyone has eaten their fill, we'll act together."

And so the bandits set to work, some sharpening knives, some sharpening spears.

The old man heard all this. He quietly went to the back garden and woke the four pilgrims, saying, "That boy has brought his gang. They know you are here and want to harm you. I pity you for coming from so far away and cannot bear to see you come to harm. Quickly pack up your things. I will let you out the back door!"

When Sanzang heard this, he was terrified. He hastily kowtowed and thanked the old man, then quickly told Bajie to lead the horse, Sha Monk to carry the load, and Pilgrim to take the nine-ringed monk's staff. The old man opened the back door and let them go, then quietly went back to the front room to sleep.